Frustrum shaped target and projectile

ABSTRACT

A vigorous action game is played with: (1) a circular, mound shaped plate supported on the ground and having an elevated flat horizontal supporting surface in the center thereof and a plurality of concentric, adjacent outwardly and downwardly arranged flutes; and (2) a plurality of frustums having rounded or relieved edges, one to each of three or more players. One player is designated as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;IT&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and balances his frustum on the flat supporting surface of the plate. Each of the others in turn tosses his frustum from behind a goal line at the plate to attempt to dislodge IT&#39;&#39;s frustum. The object of the game for each of these players is to retrieve his frustum and retreat behind the goal line without being tagged by IT. IT may tag only when his frustum is in place on the supporting surface of the plate.

United States Patent 1 Meyer FRUSTRUM SHAPED TARGET AND PROJECTILE Maurice ,1. Meyer, St. Paul, Minn.

] Inventor:

] Assignee: M M Industries, Inc., St. Paul, Minn.

U LII 2 Filed: Apr. 23, 1971 Appl. No.: 136,822

l [52) U.S. Cl. 273/95 R, 273/102 R, 273/106 R,

273/127 R, 273/128 A, 273/D1G. 8

Hayashi 273/128 R Sept. 25, 1973 1,644,466 10/1927 Dewes 273/128 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 786,211 5/1968 Canada 273/95 F Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorney-Burd, Braddock & Bartz [57] ABSTRACT A vigorous action game is played with: (l) a circular, mound shaped plate supported on the ground and having an elevated flat horizontal supporting surface in the center thereof and a plurality of concentric, adjacent outwardly and downwardly arranged flutes; and (2) a plurality of frustums having rounded or relieved edges, one to each of three or more players. One player is designated as IT" and balances his frustum on the flat supporting surface of the plate, Each of the others in turn tosses his frustum from behind a goal line at the plate to attempt to dislodge [Ts frustum. The object of the game for each of these players is to retrieve his frustum and retreat behind the goal line without being tagged by IT. IT may tag only when his frustum is in place on the supporting surface of the plate.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 FRUSTRUM SHAPED TARGET AND PROJECTILE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a game in which each player has a playing piece capable of being supported on an elevated area of a ground supported'plate; and in which one palyer attempts to dislodge the plate supported playing piece of another player by tossing his own playing piece.

Many vigorous action games are known which require substantial physical exertion but dont require physical interaction with other players. Examples are tennis, badminton, ping pong, and all natures and varieties of foot races, swimming races, skating or bicycle races, etc. In these contests, physical skill and coordination are rewarded, and, once the game is played several times, the pattern of physical superiority is established, and the outcome can be regularly predicted.

Other games require vigorous physical interaction between the players, but this interaction is so violent or the team aspects are so involved, that the games are unsatisfactory or impossible of execution for groups of three or more players of all sizes, ages, of either sex or in mixged groups. Examples of such games are football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc.

Some team games, including some of those listed above, require physical interaction between the players, can readily be played by players of either sex or mixed sex, allow for vigorous action, but require a level of physical skill and require the use of extensive equipment, or are not adapted to be played by as few as three people. The degree of difficulty in such games cannot be varied to accommodate classes of players of widely different physical, and mental abilities and capabilities. Thus these games are adapted primarily for use by certain restricted age groups and recreational groups having extensiveequipment and space available. An examheretofore have either pitted one player against another on a man-to-man basis, or have pitted players together team against team, limiting the success or accomplishment of a particular player to the level of accomplishment of his entire team.

A game according to the method and apparatus of the present invention allows each one of three or more players to pit his physical and mental abilities against particular game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A mound shaped plate having an upper supporting surface is positioned on a generally horizontal playing floor or playing field. Each of three or more players has a playing piece, and one of the players, designated as IT, supports his playing piece on the supporting surface of the plate. Each of the other players, in turn, tosses his playing piece toward the supporting plate from behind a designated goal line in an attempt to dislodge the plate supported playing piece to cause it to fall to the playing surface of the floor or field. Players must then retrive their playing pieces from behind the goal line in order to make another toss. The person designated as IT retrieves his playing piece, replaces it on the plate supporting surface, and attempts to tag any player in the playing area on the side of the goal line adjacent the plate before that person can retrieve his playing piece and retreat over the goal line. If the player tossing his playing piece failed to dislodge the playing piece of IT, he need not attempt to retrieve his own playing piece at that time, but can wait until some other player is successful in dislodging IT s playing piece before attempting to retrieve his own piece and retreat behind the goal line.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the playing pieces are constituted as identical frustums having rounded or relieved edges, and the mound shaped plate is defined by a flat circular upper horizontal supporting surface surrounded by concentric, adjacent, outwardly and downwardly'arranged ribs or ridges separated by flutes terminating at a horizontal bottom surface. The

or the minor surface of ITs frustum be used to balance the frustum on top of the mound, thus varying thedifciulty of the game to suit it to the abilities of the players. In the event that one player is of substantially greater physical and/or mental ability than the others, it can be required that he balance the minor surface of his frustum on the plate when he is IT, while the other players can be allowed to balance the major or wider circular section of their frustum on the plate when they are IT.

By varyingthe distance between the goal line and the plate, the difficulty of the game can be varied.

The rounded frustum shape of the playing. piece insures that they will not roll in a straight line, thus adding interest to the game, and the shape of the concentric ribs of the plate is such as to cause a frustum falling from or sliding up the plate to receive more than one separate impact, thus causing a random character to the movement of the frustum over the ribs.

In the drawings: i

FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus for playing the game arranged on an outdoor playing field and discloses one of the players in the act of tossing his playing piece toward a mound like support plate to attempt to knock the playing piece of IT off of the plate;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the support plate of the invention with a frustum or playing piece supported thereon, a part of the support plate being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the support plate and a frustum of the inventionand showing one possible roll pattern of another playing piece as it might progress up the plate in direction to dislodge the plate supported frustum therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a mound like supporting plate of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a combined side plan view and end elevational view of a frustum or playing piece of one form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the figures, a mound shaped supporting plate is constituted as an upwardly narrowing, curved shell from a base rim 12 to an upper supporting surface 14. The plate is formed of a shell of relatively light, durable material, such as expanded polyurethane foam and takes a shape which, in a very general sense, may be described as a hemisphere. As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of the shell need not be full of material and may be a cavity defined by a hemisphere defined in cross section by the line 16. The outer surface of the plate is formed with a plurality of con-vexly shaped ridges or ribs 18 separated by flutes the purpose of which will be explained later. The supporting surface 14 is a relatively small diameter flat portion at the very uppermost portion of the mound.

Playing pieces 20 formed in the shape of frustums are used by game players both as objects to toss, as shown in FIG. I, and as objects forming targets at which tosses are made, the playing piece is that case being placed on the supporting surface 14 of the mound. The playing pieces may be constructed of a material similar to the material from which the mound is constructed, namely, a relatively light, durable, non-breakable plastic, such as expanded polyurethane foam.

The playing pieces have a wider most portion designated by a band 22, best shown in FIG. 5, from which it tapers in both directions. The band 22 is not located longitudinally in the middle of the playing piece but is positioned toward one end thereof. Therefore, the playing piece tapers generally conically in a surface 24 towards a small end 26, having a minor surface. In the other direction, the playing piece slopes a short distance to a relatively large end 28, having a major surface.

It will be appreciated that the center of gravity in the longitudinal direction of this frustum shaped playing piece is not in the middle but is removed toward the large end 28. Thus, if the frustum is balanced on its small end as shown in FIG. 2 with the large end uppermost, it will be relatively unstable and more easily dislodged from the mound shaped plate than if it is balanced on its large end on the plate, as shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 2, a frustum, shown in dotted line form, is in the process of falling down the plate and rolling away therefrom. In being dislodged from the plate and rolling down over the ridges 18, the frustum will generally come to rest at a distance at least several inches removed from the plate, as shown by one such stationary target piece in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 3, in dotted line silhouette as seen from the end of the frustum, a frustum is shown as it would strike the base of the mound shaped plate and roll up the ribs 18 to dislodge a playing piece on the supporting surface of the plate. The frustum has a center of gravity, as seen from the end, designated by reference numeral 32. The frustum strikes and contacts the bottom rib of the mound shaped plate at a point designated 34, below the center of gravity 32. Therefore the momentum of the frustum carries it upwardlyalong the surface of the rib to the next rib. Another portion of the figure shows the frustum advancing over the top most rib of the plate towards the supporting surface, again with the point of contact 34 below the center of gravity 32 of the frustum.

It will be appreciated that the frustums will not roll in a straight line on the ground as a result of the tapering shape given by the surface 24. Consequently a great deal of skill and accuracy will be required on the part of the player to toss the frustum in such a way that it will hit the mound shaped plate, roll up the surface thereof, and dislodge the target playing piece from the supporting surface. The game is not intended to be played by players throwing the frustums directly at the target playing piece on the supporting surface of the plate. The ridges on the mound shaped plate increase the chances of the frustum being deflected aside from the supporting surface of the plate unless the player should be sufiiciently skilled that he has gotten his frustum to strike the plate squarely and commence rolling up the side thereof. In FIG. 1, showing a typical playing situation, a goal line denominator 30 is shown and is the limit beyond which a player must not advance while making a toss of a frustum, at the'plate.

The goal line in the particular version of the game herein described would be approximately 10 feet in length and approximately 20 feet, when adults are playing the game, away from the location of the plate. For younger children the distance from the goal line to the plate may be adjusted as needed to keep the game interesting by matching the skill required to achieve the objects of the game with the skill of the players playing the game.

In playing the game a playing area is first marked off and each player receives one of the playing pieces. One player is designated as IT and must stand near the plate with his playing piece placed on the supporting surface 14 of the plate. Then, in order, each player tosses his playing piece towards the plate, attempting to dislodge the playing piece placed on the supporting surface of the plate. Having tossed thier playing pieces, each player must then attempt to retrieve his playing piece whether or not he has been successful in dislodging ITs playing piece from the supporting surface on the plate so that he may make another toss. If a player dislodges a playing piece from the plate, then points are scored in his favor. The player who is IT may tag any player attempting to return to the safety of the goal line after he has retrieved his playing piece. Alternatively, the player who has spent the least time as IT may be declared the winner.

The player who is IT and who tags another player after the playing piece has been retrieved has then succeeded in making the other player IT. Of course, players may attempt to distract the player who is IT and otherwise make it more difficult and skillful for the player who is IT-to succeed in relieving himself of this burden. Players may not move other playing pieces than their own or the playing piece on the plate without automatically becoming IT.

When using game devices made of polyurethane, this game is particularly interesting because of the bouncing reaction when objects of this material strike one another. It will take a good deal of skill for a player to develop the technique of getting a playing piece to strike the plate and roll up to dislodge the target playing piece rather than being deflected. Also, the game pieces are quite light and are unlikely to injure another player, even if thrown directly at him'. The material will not shatter into dangerous fragments and is quite durable.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Apparatus for playing a vigorous action game comprising:

a plurality of playing pieces, each tapering in both directions to end portions from a demarcation line between said end portions, and

a plate acting as a support for a playing peice and having a supporting surface at the top of an upwardly narrowing, curved surface,

said plate being mound shaped and having at least one convexly shaped rib on the surface thereof,

said plate being shaped so that when struck by a moving playing piece, the point of contactbetween said rib and said playing piece will be below the center of gravity of said playing piece and the playing piece will roll upwardly thereover.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said ribs are provided on said plate.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein three ribs are provided on said plate, the point of contact of said playing piece with each rib of said plate being at a point below the center of gravity of said playing piece rolling up the plate, so that at each rib the playing piece can continue rolling towards the supporting surface at the top of the plate.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate and playing pieces are formed of expanded polyurethane foam.

5. Apparatus for playing a vigorous action game comprising:

a plurality of playing pieces, each tapering in both directions to end portions from a demarcation line between said end portions, and

a plate acting as a support for a playing piece and having a supporting surface at the top of an upwardly narrowing, curved surface,

said playing pieces being formed as frustums with said line of demarcation substantially closer to one end than the other so that said frustums are formed with a substantially long tapering surface terminating in a small end of said frustum with a minor surface and having a shorter tapering surface in the other direction to a relatively large end with a major surface so that the center of gravity of the frustum is substantially nearer the larger end than the small end. 

1. Apparatus for playing a vigorous action game comprising: a plurality of pLaying pieces, each tapering in both directions to end portions from a demarcation line between said end portions, and a plate acting as a support for a playing peice and having a supporting surface at the top of an upwardly narrowing, curved surface, said plate being mound shaped and having at least one convexly shaped rib on the surface thereof, said plate being shaped so that when struck by a moving playing piece, the point of contact between said rib and said playing piece will be below the center of gravity of said playing piece and the playing piece will roll upwardly thereover.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said ribs are provided on said plate.
 3. The structure of claim 2 wherein three ribs are provided on said plate, the point of contact of said playing piece with each rib of said plate being at a point below the center of gravity of said playing piece rolling up the plate, so that at each rib the playing piece can continue rolling towards the supporting surface at the top of the plate.
 4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate and playing pieces are formed of expanded polyurethane foam.
 5. Apparatus for playing a vigorous action game comprising: a plurality of playing pieces, each tapering in both directions to end portions from a demarcation line between said end portions, and a plate acting as a support for a playing piece and having a supporting surface at the top of an upwardly narrowing, curved surface, said playing pieces being formed as frustums with said line of demarcation substantially closer to one end than the other so that said frustums are formed with a substantially long tapering surface terminating in a small end of said frustum with a minor surface and having a shorter tapering surface in the other direction to a relatively large end with a major surface so that the center of gravity of the frustum is substantially nearer the larger end than the small end. 